February 2001   Meeting Notice

 

Engineer’s Week Special Program

ASME Distinguished Lecturer Series, John Kriegel of Eastman Kodak

·      The Chandra X-ray Laboratory

 

Date:        Tuesday, February 20, 2001   Time:  6:00 - 9:00 pm [program at 7:30 pm]

Place:      Crowne Plaza Hotel , I-385 and Roper Mountain Road, Greenville SC

Cost:        $ 10.00 members, $ 15 memb. family  $ 5.00 students  $20.00 non-members

 

Reservations:          Required  by   02/16/00  at noon

   Specify:                Chicken, Beef, or Vegetarian when making reservation

   Contact:                 Don Baldwin              864 654 5090   or  dbaldwin@innova.net

 

Launched in July 1999, the Chandra is being used to study the X-ray properties of distant galaxies, neutron stars, black holes, quasars and other high-energy sources.  This Telescope represents  a 100 X improvement over our previous imaging and information gathering capability. Astrophysicists are already vying for access to this key, which will help to unlock the secrets of the Universe.   Mr Kriegel was part of the design team at Eastman Kodak Company, where the telescope was designed, fabricated and assembled. This presentation will cover the technological advances made in creating the most perfect reflective surfaces ever produced; in establishing strain-free mounts for 450 pound mirrors; in assembling and aligning multi-story components, in Class-100 clean-room conditions, and other "solutions" which advanced the state-of-the-art called mechanical engineering.

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CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Dear members,

Our attendance at meetings continues to hover around 20-25 people.  Not bad, but considering 800 members, we are at around 3% attendance!  Naturally, the sheer size of our section makes it difficult for many to come, but I would hope that the diversity of programs, the fellowship, and the education will convince you to eventually make it to our meeting site. 

Concerning that meeting site, we have held meetings regularly at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Greenville for over a year.  We felt they offered a location that was probably more convenient to many, and at an acceptable price/value.  Note that all the members on the executive committee live in the Clemson, Easley area, and it would be more convenient for us to have the meeting closer to home.  Anyhow, the cost of the meals is increasing at the Crowne Plaza.

The executive committee voted to subsidize this meal, since a distinguished speaker is an important event. We will set the cost at $10 per ASME member, $15 spouse or relative,  $20 non-member, and students pay $5.  This will deplete our funds quickly.

We need to quickly find another site.  So if you have any suggestion for a place that can accommodate a meeting for say 50 members with food service and projection set up, and is relatively centrally located, we would love to hear from you.  I am especially asking you who work in large companies that have cafeterias, food service and meeting rooms.  Any suggestion?

Hope to see many of you at our next distinguished speaker meeting, best wishes for the new year,

Regards. 

Georges Fadel

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PENC  WNC Engineer’s Week Activities Schedule

 

If you have any questions, contact:  Nikki Malatin President Elect, WNC Branch, ASCE 

       828-439-8988 or  nmalatin@nicholson-rodio.com.

 

20 Feb 01 - National Engineer Week Design Competition

            Hosted by NC State University College of Engineering and UNCA      

            UNCA Campus, Owens Conference Center, Asheville NC   Noon – 4pm.

            Categories: Grade 9-10 Marshmallow Catapult Competition, Grade 11-12   Bridge Building Competition,

                                Undergraduate   Robotics Competition

            Contact:  Cheryl Alderman, Associate Director of Engineering Programs at UNCA, 828-251-6943

Needed ! 2 structural or bridge engineers to give students feedback about design, making the event as much a learning experience as a competition. Volunteers can contact Nikki Malatin.

            Sponsors:  UNCA, NC State,  PENC, and ASCE

 

22 Feb 01 - Joint PENC and ASCE meeting

            Topic - Engineering Education Opportunities in Western NC and Design Competition Highlights

            Speaker: - Cheryl Alderman of the Engineering Programs at UNCA

            Place - Plaza Ramada Inn, Enka, NC    Time - 6:30 pm social, 7:00 dinner

            RSVP   by February 18, 2001 to:

Robert M. Welch, PE President Western Carolina Chapter – PENC           

42 Wolfe Cove Road    Asheville, NC 28804   Tel: (828) 252-2201  Fax: (877) 471-2743

rmwelch@home.com

 

“Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day”   The 2001 celebration of National Engineers Week will feature “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” on Thursday, Feb. 22, as part of its efforts to encourage more young women to consider careers in engineering.    ASME members, particularly women, are encouraged to participate by reaching out to elementary, middle school and high school girls in the local communities.  The goal is to reach one million girls.  A page on asme.org will be set up to report on outreach activities.  For more information, check out the Engineers Week website at http://www.eweek.org/2000/News/Eweek/girlsday.shtml

Intellectual Property: A Guide for Engineers, Now Available!   A new guide for engineers on intellectual property is now available through ASME Press.  Among the various topics covered are: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, intellectual property and the Internet, and international protection of intellectual property.   This guide is commissioned by the ASME Committee on Issues Identification and written by the Committee on Public Information, Section on Intellectual Property, and American Bar Association.   You may order Intellectual Property through Infocentral at 800-843-2763.  Order #801603.  Cost is $10 for members.